Jacksonville State wins offensive struggle at Alcorn State

Published on December 01, 05:57 PM

Jacksonville State and “offensive struggle” in the same headline? Who would suspect such a thing?

Four Gamecocks score in double figures, as Jacksonville State earns another ugly win, 56-52 on the road against Alcorn State. Jacksonville State shoots 32% from the field, the fifth straight game they’ve been held under 40% shooting from the field.

All but nine of JSU’s 56 points came from a quartet that was led by senior Ronnie Boggs‘ 14 points. Boggs also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. Senior Tarvin Gaines scored the Gamecocks’ first eight points and didn’t score again until early in the second half but ended the game with 12 points. Junior Brian Williams added 11 points, while sophomore Darion Rackley‘s two clutch free throws with 2.5 seconds left put the game on ice and gave him 10 points in the game.

Jacksonville State led by seven twice in the second half, but could never pull away from Alcorn State, thanks in part to 13 second half points from Anthony Evans. The Junior guard scored just one during the game’s first 20 minutes.

After trailing by six at the break, The Braves controlled the early minutes of the second half, limiting the Gamecocks without a field goal for almost seven minutes. The 12-2 run put ASU up by three in the second, but that would be their final lead of the game.

JSU would push the lead to 51-44, before ACU used a 8-2 run to pull back within one with just under a minute to play. After a free throw by Nick Cook, Alcorn State’s Evans tried a runner in the paint that would have tied it, but it was too strong and Rackley corralled the rebounds. He went to the line and made both of his charity shots with 2.5 seconds left, giving the Gamecocks the win.

JSU’s 6-2 start to the 2012-13 season ties the 2008-09 and 2002-03 teams for the best start in the program’s 18-year Division I history.